Introducing~DigiFolios, Digital Lapbooking with a Twist.

Do you love the idea of lapbooks and scrapbooks but don’t like the mess? Do your children love to work and create on a computer? If so, then welcome to a new and technologically advanced way of learning…digital learning! Everything is done on the computer, but we have added a TWIST! We call them DigiFolios!

What is Digital Learning?

Do you love the idea of lapbooks and scrapbooks but don’t like the mess? Do your children love to work and create on a computer? If so, then welcome to a new and technologically advanced way of learning…digital learning! Everything is done on the computer, but we have added a TWIST!

How do I receive the file?

You will receive a zipped file containing numerous pages in jpeg format. You will need a program to unzip them. WinZip is what we use but any unzipping program will work. You will open each page independently. This will make it easy to pick and choose which pages to work on.

How do I open it?

After you unzip your file, you will need to decide on the editing program you are going to use. The following are all jpeg compatible programs but you are not limited to just these.

Microsoft Word—some have had trouble with this as it may limit customization possibilities.

Microsoft Publisher

Photoshop Elements

Photoshop CS 5

Gimp-free online

Paint.net-Free online

Paint –Comes as an accessory on most computers. You must save as, with this program. Open your program of choice. Then copy and paste or open the file in the program you have chosen. How you do this depends on your computer system and software. You may need to play around a bit until you find what works best for you.

How does my child use the digital file?

We highly encourage you to save your work often so that your work will not be lost in case of a computer malfunction. It is recommended to use SAVE AS when you do your first save of your edited file, rather than SAVE. (If you use SAVE, you will write over your entire original file.) After you do your first SAVE AS, (we also recommend saving your new edited file under a different name than your original file.), you can use the SAVE option when working in that file from now on. This method preserves your original file so that you can use it again in the future. We recommend saving your new file on your DESKTOP so that it can be found easily

Adding text

Some programs require you to click or double click where you want the text to be using the TEXT TOOL. Other programs require you to add a TEXT BOX before typing.

Adding graphics

You can add graphics and pictures easily. In many programs you will open the graphic from your hard drive or on the web, right click, copy, and then go to your lapbook page in the program of your choice, right click and copy where you want it. Now you can resize and move it as you wish. You can change colors and font styles. You can purchase a digital scrapbook kit (many are even free) and add lots of fun and visually appealing elements to further enhance the pages.

The nice thing about digital or virtual lapbooks is that you are able to easily erase mistakes, make changes, or add items later.

What are the benefits of virtual and digital lapbooks:

Your child gains experience on the computer

Your child learns about basic graphic design concepts

No or little glue and paper mess

Easier for many special needs students

When using the rulers available on some graphic programs, your child gets practice in math.

Can I print my file?

You can have your pages printed by many companies, Snapfish, and many more. You can also print them at home, though they won’t be as professional.